The purpose of the study is to determine how the teacher discipline system in British Columbia changed as a result of Bill 20, the Teaching Profession Act and Revised School Act of 1987. The nature of the discipline system both before and after Bill 20 was described and the significance of changes to the education community indicated. Before 1987, teacher discipline was governed by a statutory model, pursuant to provisions of the School Act The current system, a collective bargaining model, is governed by the Industrial Relations Act, 75 collective agreements, and arbitral jurisprudence. The study reviews differences in those two systems both generally, and specifically. An analysis of legislative frameworks governing teacher discipline across Canada, as well as a brief overview of the American system, allows the conclusion that the B.C. teacher discipline system is one of a kind in North America and not likely modeled after any other on the continent. To compare the two teacher discipline systems and also to describe them in relation to theoretical concepts, the following were analyzed: (1) legal frameworks governing employer-employee relationships in general, theoretical concepts used to describe employee discipline systems, and studies of employee discipline, especially in the unionized environment and in the case of teachers, (2) decisions of all boards of reference and review commisions prior to 1988, (3) all reported B.C. teacher grievances, specifically discipline-related grievances, and arbitration awards between 1988 and 1991, (4) collective agreement provisions in effect in 1991 related to matters of teacher discipline, (5) critical arbitral jurisprudence on employee (and teacher) discipline, and (6) B.C. teacher discipline cases before 1988 which fell outside the regulated system but resulted in court decisions. The study concluded that the previous teacher discipline system in B.C. was an inferior system, unfair and patronizing at best, but biased against teachers, and open to political manipulation at worst. Only limited teacher discipline decisions prior to changes in legislation were appealed, and even then, often to inexperienced and non-objective bodies. The current system promises to provide more regulated, predictable, and fair treatment, although more knowledge, skills, training and personnel are required to manage the system.

This study addressed the controversy among academics in conventional universities over the credibility of distance education for degree credit. Faculty scepticism has slowed the development and expansion of distance education despite increased demands for it. Distance education is an educational method in which the teacher and learners are separated in time and space for the majority, if not all, of the teaching-learning process; two-way communication occurs primarily via print, postal service, and telecommunications (Keegan, 1990). There is little empirical evidence about the reasons for the antagonism between the supporters and opponents of distance education. The purpose of this research was to explain why some faculty support distance education while others do not. Support was defined as how faculty would speak about and vote for proposals to offer distance education courses for degree credit. The conceptual framework drew on studies of faculty attitudes towards university expansion and distance education, and literature on academic culture and change. An interpretive perspective and qualitative methods dominated the two-phase study. First, a mailed survey (n=487) investigated the extent of faculty familiarity with and support for distance education. Then faculty (n=50) were interviewed from three categories of support for distance education identified by the survey: supportive, divided support, and opposed. The interviews explored how faculty understood the compatibility and feasibility of distance education. Compatibility was defined as the congruence of distance education with faculty beliefs and values about the accessibility and quality of university education. Feasibility was the perceived ability to successfully implement distance education. In general, faculty were not very familiar with or supportive of distance education, except for undergraduate courses. There was very little support for a graduate program by distance education. There were significant differences in faculty support by discipline and gender. The reasons for variations in faculty support for distance education are best explained by the concept of compatibility. Faculty supported distance education if it was congruent with their beliefs and values about university education in general. Faculty thought about distance education as promoting social justice, as an educational method, or as the distribution of information. Faculty who were supportive held the beliefs and values Trow (1973) associated with mass education while those who were opposed tended to believe in an elite approach to university education. There was a substantial divided group who were in a conflict about the priority that should be given to the major values involved, the accessibility and quality of university education. The study contributes to the development of theory about different conceptions of university and distance education and provides insight into the study of disciplinary cultures. It presents a revised conceptual framework for further research on the topic. The results have implications for educational planning and for the development of distance education.

The significance of school districts as an object of study lies in the direct manner in which the provision of public education serves the needs of society and is, in fact, a societal undertaking. Public schooling is a major instrument for the expression of the public will in a democratic society, and the school system both models and maintains the essential attributes of that society. As a result, school districts, the basic structural unit in the organization and operation of public schools in Canada, create records which reflect the educational values and concerns of this society at the most fundamental level. Because the effective administration of education requires that records be kept, sometimes by law, it is essential to analyze the functions of school boards as a means of understanding the records they produce and their significance. The aim of this study is to identify and synthesize those facts, laws, historical developments, functions, and competencies common to the local administration of education in British Columbia with the express purpose of establishing a framework in and through which the archival control of their records may be examined. This analysis is undertaken in accordance with the archival methodology of functional analysis. The need to examine and understand the legal foundation upon which school districts and their controlling boards rests is critical because so many of their activities are largely determined by law. Accordingly, the thesis begins with an analysis of the legal framework of school district activity and shows that as political and legal entities school districts are considered to be provincial agents, albeit acting in a local capacity, with the status of quasi-municipal corporations. From this point of departure, an analysis of the relevant statute law, common law, and administrative law is then undertaken in order to determine the historical evolution of British Columbia school boards, their mandate and their functions. This examination reveals that each school board shares three primary or governing functions (legislative, judicial, and executive) and two management functions (education administration and business administration). The thesis concludes by offering an evaluation of the implications of this study for archival practice through an examination of several issues related to the archival management of school board records as well as the reasons for their permanent preservation by an archival agency.

In my Directed Studies I looked at how architecture can make the experience of time more immediate. This can be done by the use of light that marks the passage of time and the variability of the outside world; the unfolding of and movement through a building's spaces; the juxtaposition of permanent and changing elements; and in the choice of materials and how they wear over time. To explore these ideas, I choose as my project a Gallery of Urban Design for Vancouver. The Gallery would give students and professionals as well as the interested public the chance to learn about the complexity and richness of cities. The site is a vacant 100' x 120' lot on the SW corner of Robson and Homer, across Robson St. from the new Public Library. This area is consolidating as an arts and entertainment district, and a smaller-scale cultural venue would complement larger institutions like the Library, Ford Theatre, BC Place, etc. The site is at a strategic corner of this district, with strong connections to the rest of downtown. Right now, this district is an odd mix of empty lots and large object buildings that dominate most or all of a city block, most of which turn their backs on the sidewalk. The result is a barren and uninviting streetscape. What's missing is a finer grain to knit together these large monuments, the kind of grain seen in nearby Yaletown and on Robson St. The site of the Gallery, across from the Library, has the chance to extend Robson St.'s rhythm, and also to enclose and define Library Square. The Gallery itself is the heart of the project. There are four gallery spaces devoted to different themes: the City's Origins, the City Rises, the City in Crisis, and the City Renewed. In each there is a permanent exhibit on Vancouver around which changing exhibits about other cities are organised. The areas for permanent exhibits are marked by a change in the flooring, from polished concrete to wood. For visitors, the gallery spaces, each a variation on the same palette of materials and light, unfold piece by piece as they move through them, always with glimpses ahead of what's to come and views back to where they've been. The dimension of time is involved in understanding this sequence, and emphasised in the in-between spaces that thicken the transitions. The simple materials serve as a reference for the changing qualities of light that are used to mark a centre and to draw the visitor forward, to imply stability and movement, in a rhythm of light and dark that ends with the dramatic light and city views of the last gallery.

The British Columbia Apple industry, primarily located in the Southern Interior of the province, has undergone varying levels of tree removal and replanting as growers attempt to maximize profits. This study models their behaviour by using econometrics in a supply response model. The economic environment of the fruit industry is described. The variables affecting acreage responses to removals and replanting of new and traditional apple varieties are estimated using Ordinary Leased Squares in three separate equations. Data are pooled and aggregated at the regional level. Several versions of the original model are run to test for robustness of the variables and of the original model. The econometric models illustrated that the plantings of new varieties increases when expected profits from vintage trees decline. However, planting and removals of traditional varieties are positively related to excepted profits from vintage trees and this does not follow apriori expectations. More striking in the model is the regional differences and their responsiveness to removals and replanting. Regions with younger, better educated farmers replant to new varieties at a faster rate than other regions. Replant programs are shown to have a negative effect on the rate of replanting. These programs maintain basic criteria for their eligibility to funding and seemingly decreased the acres replanted. Increasing the monetary value of the replant grants results in the effect of increasing the acreage of traditional varieties being planted. Policy implications are examined in a post modelling analysis. The effects of top loading subsidy effects are shown to have decreased the acreage of trees replanted over time. These effects are shown to cause a dead weight loss to society of approximately $13 million over 20 years.

This thesis examines the changing role of British Columbia's municipal governments in affordable housing policy. In recent years, the federal government of Canada has withdrawn from active involvement in affordable housing provision, and has passed responsibility back to the provinces. The government of British Columbia has, in turn, amended its Municipal Act through Bills 20 (1992), 57 (1993) and 31 (1994), to grant municipal governments increased planning powers in the field of affordable housing. This thesis examines the responses of municipal governments to these changes and specifically investigates whether the decentralization of responsibility has to led to policy innovation. This research question is addressed in three ways. First, through a review of the theoretical literature and legislation, a discussion is presented concerning the issue of decentralization and the ways it has been enacted in the case of housing policy in British Columbia. Secondly, the results of a postal survey of 52 municipalities in British Columbia are presented, reflecting the range of local responses to the provincial housing legislation. Thirdly, case studies, derived from key informant interviews and document analysis in three municipalities (Burnaby, Sidney and Prince George) are presented. These provide more detailed illustrations of housing strategies in different geographical contexts. The research suggests that housing is a dynamic area of public policy in British Columbia, with a distinct pattern of innovation. In particular, some 'entrepreneurial' municipalities exhibited a shorter response time in reacting to the provincial legislation, and have adopted more innovative approaches to housing policy; these in turn, serve as examples to other jurisdictions. The wide range of innovative housing strategies adopted by local governments across the province, which are highlighted in this thesis, suggest that decentralization has ensured the potential for a greater fit between the preferences and needs of a particular locale. To the extent that it provides municipalities with the powers and resources they need, the decentralization policy allows communities to capitalize on their existing strengths and to more readily meet their housing needs.

The goals of this thesis are to identify the objectives for creating a Sustainable Community Network (SCN) within B.C., to acknowledge the various tools available to facilitate the network, and to develop illustrative models to guide those contemplating the establishment of a network. Three primary research methods were utilized in this project: literature reviews, group discussion in a focus workshop, and individual interviews. The literature reviewed focused on the fields of collaboration, networks in both technical and social capacities, and coalitions. Four objectives are identified as motives to create a SCN: to provide exchange mechanisms, to organise the "unformalized" field, to create a community of interest, and to be a vehicle for power, influence and empowerment. The emphasis at the beginning should be on building personal relationships over creating an electronic network. Other specific products and services are identified as beneficial for the stakeholders: newsletters, conferences, inventories, facilitation, and a clearinghouse for information. Alternatives for administering the network include a network manager, an administrative body, a governing body, and an intermediary broker. This research helps define networks within the field of planning. They may act as a support system, streamline efforts through collaboration or by reducing duplication of effort, act as a forum for monitoring and assessment activities, and be a source for on-going public participation. Three conceptual models are developed representing a range of possibilities for creating the network. The models are labeled the "Fundamental Network" at the basic level, the "Coalition Network", and the "Collaborative Network" at the most complex level. The need for a SCN is reconfirmed. The network should proceed from a "human scale" and develop the capabilities of the electronic network as computer literacy and technological capacity become generally available. Finally, it is recommended that the network should proceed slowly, building on community objectives and incorporating the diverse activities possible through collaboration as experience is gained. Further research is needed to clarify the potential for networks in planning and management, to better understand the evolving place for computer technology, and to monitor the effectiveness of the networks as they are implemented.

Scholars have sorely neglected the subject of religion in British Columbia during the interwar years. This thesis will address this gap through a study of the relationship between Protestantism and society in the province's major urban centers, Vancouver and Victoria. I will approach the issue through a new window into the role of churches in British Columbia - the church taxation debates of the 1920's. This work begins with a review of the literature that sets the historical context of the church tax issue and reveals gaps in our knowledge of the role of religion in British Columbia. Primary source material is derived largely from newspapers, magazines, and archival material including private correspondences, City Council documents, pamphlets, and booklets. The church taxation issue illustrates the agenda of British Columbia's urban churches in a rapidly changing and secularizing society. In order to remain relevant, they were forced to consider their purpose and persuade society to agree. Exemptionists employed different strategies to convince the public of their indispensability. In Victoria, churches clung to tradition, while in Vancouver churches responded by redefining the relationship between church and state. Victoria's churches wanted the role of churches to remain unchanged while Vancouver churches sought to harmonize the churches' agenda with that of the state. In both cities, the exemptionists won their cases. However, their victories did not permanently define or secure the future role of churches.

Many professionally trained immigrant applicants receive high marks in the selection process for their perceived value to the host Canadian society and economy. Upon arrival, however, many new immigrants find that employers and industry-regulated accreditation boards do not recognize their foreign degrees and work experience. In this thesis, I interview 25 underemployed or unemployed foreign-trained engineers in Vancouver to investigate the diversity of their experiences in the labour market. I focus on how they perceive the obstacles they are facing and how they are responding to these barriers in seeking employment. This thesis is situated in a growing body of literature that considers labour markets as complex, place-contingent, socially and institutionally embedded constructs. Using a "socio-institutionalist" approach, which refutes conventional neoclassical economics' theories of labour markets as free, self-equilibrating, and uninterrupted markets, enables me to compose, then put to work, a multilogical theoretical model that examines the ways in which various institutions control, shape, and govern access to professional engineering jobs in Vancouver. In particular, I draw upon theories of regulatory, social and cultural institutions in the labour market. I find that regulatory institutions, such as the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC), create licensing obstacles that are indeed profound for new immigrants. In addition, many recent immigrants are excluded from local social networks that diffuse information about professional job availabilities; assistance is provided through inclusive immigrant and ethnic networks, but this rarely leads to professional employment. Lastly, many newcomers perceive their cultural institutional affiliation to be wanting, and so pursue Canadian academic credentials in an attempt to gain entrance into the market.

Major questions regarding the roles of school psychologists and delivery system reforms have appeared in the school psychology literature over the last of couple decades (Benson & Hughes, 1985; Fagan & Wise, 2000; Jackson, Balinky, & Lambert, 1993; Jerrell, 1984; Lacayo, Morris, & Sherwood, 1981; Reschly, 1988; Reschly & Wilson, 1995; Roberts & Rust, 1994). Consequently, many U.S. national survey studies have been conducted (Anderson, Cancelli, & Kratochwill, 1984; Benson & Hughes, 1985; Curtis, Chesno Grier, Walker Abshier, Sutton, & Hunley, 2002; Fischer, Jenkins, & Crumbley, 1986; Hutton & Dubes, 1992; Lacayo et al., 1981; Reschly & Wilson, 1995; Smith, 1984; Smith, Clifford, Hesley, & Leifgren, 1992; Stinnett, Havey, & Oehler-Stinnett,1994). However, there is little current empirical research on the roles and functions of school psychologists in British Columbia. Research is needed to help assess the state of the art in this province and explain what psychologists are doing. The profession of school psychology is unregulated in B.C. and so it is possible that persons practicing in the schools have a variety of training and offer a variety of services. Further, there is much existing uncertainty regarding the future path of the profession (Benson, 2002). The purpose of this study is to explore the job roles and functions of practicing school psychologists in B.C. and to examine the impact of various personal, professional, and job-site characteristics and external influences on job roles and functions. Survey methodology (N=42) was used with five select follow-up interviews for a sample of school psychologists around the province. Results revealed that the majority of respondents held a masters degree in school or educational psychology. Although respondents allocated a majority of their professional time to the role of assessment, school psychologists occupied a broad number of roles and desired to increase their time allocated to the other roles of interventions, consultation, counseling, and research and evaluation. Further, job roles were impacted by the number of students and schools served by psychologists, and psychologists' supervisors' field of specialization.